Re: Time limit for MB's
Bruce E. Cobern (bec@PIPELINE.COM)
Thu, 28 Nov 1996 01:06:38 GMT
At 01:52 PM 11/27/96 -0600, Frank Roessler wrote:
>I've even added more to MB instruction, when time and situation permits,
>but never required it. The simplest example of this is how in depth any
>discussion can be. I almost always spend more time in MB's than most of my
>staff, primarily because I know much more about that MB than a sixteen year
>old staff member. Does this mean I require more to the MB, or the younger
>staffer requires less?
Certainly it is beneficial for the Scout if the counselor imparts some of
his knowledge and skill to the Scout above and beyond what is "required" for
the mb, as long as the decision on whether the Scout has earned the badge is
based on the requirements.
>As far as "re-doing" requirements, I think it depends a lot on the
>situation. I've had scouts try to count something they did as cub scouts
>for a MB requirement. If the activity was done before he started working
>on the badge, he probably did not participate in that activity to the
>extent required by the MB. That decision is a judgment call.
This is a different situation from the one we have actually been discussing.
Here a Scout who is seeing his first counselor is trying to claim "credit"
for something he did before he was even a Scout. I would agree with you
that in most cases the counselor should probably not accept this and require
that the Scout meet the requirement "while a Boy Scout" although I am not
sure there is any specific written requirement that says that. The
"re-doing" that we were talking about was whether the counselor can have a
Scout redo requirements that he has already done for another counselor. In
that case I believe that in most instances the second counselor should be
able to satisfy himself that the work was actually done (not necessarily
that the Scout still knows the material - that is a different matter)
without having him repeat all of the requirements.
>If a scout has a partial (however long ago he did it), I will generally
>review what he has done, to see if he is ready for the next step. I
>realize that doing a requirement for a MB does not mean the scout knows
>that skill forever, so much leeway is required.
This is exactly the type of review I was referring to above.
>I try to help the scouts EARN their MB. But my bottom line is that I won't
>sign something that I don't think is deserved. If that scout doesn't like
>that, he can always find another MB counselor (or do the appropriate
>work<g>).
Would that EVERY mb counselor felt that way and required all the Scouts to
EARN all of their mbs.
--
Bruce E. Cobern
mailto:bec@pipeline.com
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
